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Saturday, November 1, 2008
Stupid people doing stupid things
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whoever ordered this check (reported in the Columbus Dispatch) ought to be ferreted out and fired:
“Vanessa Niekamp said that when she was asked to run a child-support check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher on Oct. 16, she thought it routine. A supervisor told her the man had contacted the state agency about his case.
Niekamp didn’t know she just had checked on “Joe the Plumber,” who was elevated the night before to presidential politics prominence as Republican John McCain’s example in a debate of an average American.
The senior manager would not learn about “Joe” for another week, when she said her boss informed her and directed her to write an e-mail stating her computer check was a legitimate inquiry.”
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The post-election Republican Party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Matt Yglesias, writing on his blog at ThinkProgress, worries about the long-term impact of so many moderate Republicans, such as former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein, publicly endorsing Barack Obama:
“On some level, I sort of regret seeing people like this hop onto the Obama bandwagon. Realistically, at some point the Republicans are going to come back into power and I’d prefer that to be a less-crazy version of the GOP. That’s going to require less-crazy people, people like Duberstein, to exert some influence and have some credibility.”
I understand his point, but I think the problem he identifies will solve itself. A Republican Party that is too conservative and inflexible to woo back moderates such as Duberstein, Colin Powell, David Brooks, Doug Kmiec, William Weld, Chris Buckley, Kathleen Parker, Charles Fried, Dick Lugar, etc., will by definition not be capable of returning to power.
The party’s initial instinct after this election will be to purify itself by growing smaller and more conservative. If it surrenders to that instinct and expels those whom its base derides as RINOs, it simply extends its time in the political wilderness.
A return to power will require a return to the center.
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Is there a football game today?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve heard rumbles from the natives recently about some sort of big football game being played in these parts today. It seems to be scheduled about the same time as some big cocktail party, if I understand things correctly.
Since my own alma mater, the No. 3 ranked and undefeated Pennsylvania State University, is taking the week off, I might have to watch and see how you locals try to play our game. Might be amusing…
OH, AND ONE MORE THING: I was just going through the comments from last night. I’m sick and tired of this endless personal abuse you people throw at each other, and I’m drawing the line.
No more name-calling, no more personal abuse. Trash — you’re banned until Sunday, Bud — cross the line and you’re next, and Management, call somebody a moron again and you’re gone. It’s not going to continue like this.
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